The Phenix City Story
Posted by martinteller on August 6, 2010
Based on true events concerning a town in Alabama overrun by vice, corruption and mobs. This movie is tough, angry and cynical. It’s not unusual for noirs to take on a semi-documentary style, but this one actually begins with 12 minutes of interviews with some of the key players (if you’re sensitive about spoilers, it might be best to skip it). Whether or not this prologue was necessary is debatable, but I found it interesting and it helps the verisimilitude of the film (although no doubt much of it is sensationalized). Despite being a low-budget production with no-name actors, it has a gritty realism, enhanced by the liberal use of location shooting. It’s a gripping, brutal piece of work, with some of the most shocking violence of its time. Rating: 9
